Full article here: https://jamesfiorucci.wordpress.com/2023/03/31/simple-audio-review-akg-k702/

I have a set of speakers at home. A lovely pair of Edifier R2000DB’s either side of my television.

Unfortunately they barely ever get used. I’m afraid to turn them up to a decent volume, out of fear of disturbing the neighbours. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to afford a sound-treated room and blast my favourite music with no repercussions.

For now I’m stuck with headphones. Sounds like I’m complaining, but I’m not. One of the advantages of headphones is their sheer variety. There’s so many different types and they all sound so different. It’s exciting.

Are there any headphones out there that can replicate the spacious, enveloping sound of a fine pair of speakers? Not really, but the AKG K702 comes pretty darn close. Let’s take a look at them, and find out if they are the right cans for you.

Comfort and Build

These AKGs are the kind of headphones that are built cheaply, but will probably never break. Let me explain.

The build is all plastic; not an ounce of metal in sight save for a button holding the comfort strap to the headband. I’m pretty sure the comfort strap is fake leather, which means it is also plastic.

There are no failure points where the AKGs could potentially break, even when dropped from a considerable height. This makes for a sturdy overall build.

The choice of an all-plastic design means the K702 only weighs in at 235 grams, enabling the headphones to simply disappear on your head. The lack of padding on the strap as well as the somewhat stiff pads don’t cause any issues in regards to comfort.

Sound

While these headphones won’t win any marks in the style department, it shouldn’t bother you from the moment you start using them. Not only can you not see them on your head, you’ll soon forget their looks as soon as you start listening to some tracks.

Bass

I think my small head could be adversely impacting my thoughts on the AKG K702 when it comes to bass.

The cups are huge on these headphones, which results in the rear portion of the pads extending beyond my head. There’s maybe a one centimetre gap, which could very well be affecting the seal.

Without a proper seal, bass extension is going to be compromised. And in fact, the K702 doesn’t extend into the lower bass at all for me. Of course, this should be expected for a budget open-back headphone but I fear my experience may be even worse than it should be for the majority of listeners. But from my testing alone, I cannot give more than a passable mark for bass for these cans.

Midrange

Midrange is definitely a highlight for the AKG K702. Compared to the rest of the frequency response the mids take centre stage, particularly in the upper ranges.

Female vocals are striking (some would say a touch aggressive), and the rest of the mids have a commendable ability to be either intimate or phased out depending on what the specific song calls for.

The timbre of both instruments and vocals is excellent. While not on the level of the legendary Sennheiser HD600 or 650, everything sounds pretty natural to my ears. You can really ‘feel’ the texture of the guitar strings, and the vibrations of the microphone. Probably speaking out of my ass here, but hopefully you kind of get what I’m saying.

Treble

I love the treble on the AKG K702. It’s not overly piercing like it is on, say, the Beyerdynamic range of headphones, but it isn’t overly subdued like on the Koss Porta Pros I reviewed before. For a treble-sensitive person like myself, the presentation of the higher frequencies is brilliant (pun intended).

For all you graph people out there, the frequency response above 9kHz is a little jagged. But unless you are really listening out for it on a particular song, you won’t notice.

Cymbals, hi-hats and high-pitched synth notes have wonderful sparkle and a hearty impact. No complaints in this department.

Imaging and Soundstage

This is where the AKGs really impress. If you want HD800S levels of soundstage and width for a fraction of the cost, the K702 is the only real option. There are other AKGs with a similarly wide soundstage, but the K702 most closely resembles the HD800S’ sound signature.

I’ve done a double take way too many times when listening to binaural recordings on these cans. Sound seems to come from so far out beyond by head that I swear the artist is playing the song in my kitchen as I’m sat in the living room. That’s how wide it really sounds.

Imaging is good, but not on the same levels of insanity as the soundstage. I find my Denon AH-D5200 to be superior in imaging, as it can play sounds both below and above my ears. I find the K702 only goes out laterally, but struggles in the vertical areas of the image.

Detail

Thanks to present treble response and an open, spacious overall sound, the perception of detail is something that these headphones excel at.

The only minor gripe will be that you may miss out on bass-heavy tracks due to the significant roll-off in the lower frequencies.

Overall Verdict

The AKG K702 is a real party piece when it comes to its outrageously large soundstage. But it’s not a one-trick pony; excellent mids and treble response means you can look past it’s lack of bass, as long as you’re not a rap or hip-hop aficionado.

Rating: 8/10